Arguably the best contemporary war film around, 2008's "The Hurt Locker" is a grounded and visceral look at an American bomb squad expert in the Iraq War. This sentiment-free movie centers around adrenaline junkie Staff Sergeant William James whose high-octane, pulse-pounding job keeps viewers on their toes throughout the entire movie.

The Academy Award-nominated documentary “Virunga” takes a deep dive into the how war affects animals in Virunga National Park in the Congo. Besides the depiction of war's devastating effects on gorillas, it also shows the people passionately working to protect the natural beauty and wildlife.

"The Battle of Algiers" is one of the finest films ever made about the on-the-ground process of guerilla warfare. In 2003, it was even screened in the Pentagon to help educate military officers about what they would see on the ground in Iraq.

A loose reimagining of Shakespeare's "King Lear" in feudal Japan, the movie follows the warlord Hidetora who decides to yield power to his three grown sons. The film has a 96 Metascore and Bob Graham of The San Francisco Chronicle said the movie was "as close to perfect as filmmaking gets."

One of the best mutiny movies ever made, "Battleship Potemkin" has found admirers across all cultures and numerous American directors, such as Orson Welles and Billy Wilder called it an all-time favorite. It was originally designed as Soviet propaganda, but is effective no matter who's watching because it’s about a universal struggle.